Chapter 88 - Doctrine, Desire and Dependence

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The reformation of the New Testament church from law to life (zoe) is a gracious act of God. For those with ears to hear, He will clarify when the church is in need of reformation by illuminating the necessary biblical doctrine, awakening the inward desire, and inspiring faithful dependence.

Divine Reformation

Right doctrine is instrumental for the divine reformation of the New Testament church. In the New Testament, right doctrine is referred to as the “doctrine of God.” (Titus 2:10)

For example, the “doctrine of God” reveals the essential truth that Jesus Christ is the corner stone of the New Testament church. (Ephesians 2:20) Therefore, the church is dependent on Him not only for life (zoe), but also for its manifestation on earth, security, and the fulfillment of purpose, mission, and practice.

Without Christ as the corner stone, the church is nothing more than a dead, religious simulation. Merely a shadow of the true substance, it is destined to fail. Therefore, Christ alone is responsible for any reformation that might be necessary.

Right doctrine reveals that the origin of human desire for church reformation on earth is derived from the presence and power of Christ’s indwelling life (zoe). Consequently, the doctrine of God discloses the need for radical dependence on Christ.

Doctrine

As indicated, the church is privileged to contribute to the process of divine reformation by faith alone. Rather than “blind,” its reformative faith is founded on the doctrine of the New Testament, the “doctrine of God.”

Right doctrine leads to right practice. The order in which the Apostle Paul often wrote his epistles serves to illustrate. For example, Romans 1-11 is predominantly doctrinal and Romans 12-16 practical; Ephesians 1-3 doctrinal and Ephesians 4-6 practical. Paul intentionally presented church doctrine before church practice. He understood that right church doctrine was the source of right church practice.

The reformation of church practice from law to life (zoe) requires the divine illumination of right doctrine, the “doctrine of God.” The New Testament clarifies that the “doctrine of God” is the doctrine of life (zoe). It is a message of life (zoe) designed to lead the spiritually lifeless to the Savior, the author and source of life.

Arriving at faith in the living (zoe) Savior, the dead have the amazing privilege of receiving new life (zoe). As a result, they are privileged to enjoy intimate fellowship with the living (zoe) God.

The life (zoe) based doctrine of the Bible clarifies that God desires for mankind to enjoy intimate fellowship with Him through a union of shared life. It is the path of recovery for fallen man, allowing him to experience life in fullness as God intended.

Concordant with the indwelling life (zoe) of the Spirit of Christ, life in fullness can bear spiritual fruit on earth in eternally significant quality and quantity. (Romans 7:4, 6) In contrast, church “doctrine” that is law-based leads to church practice that attempts to produce spiritual fruit for God through human effort. It is incapable of bearing eternally significant spiritual fruit. (Romans 7:5)

The “doctrine of God” or doctrine of life (zoe) is instrumental for church reformation. (cf. Titus 2:10) It clarifies that the living (zoe), indwelling God is the source of the desire and dependence necessary for the reformation of His ecclesia from law to life (zoe).

As previously indicated, right doctrine leads to right practice. Therefore, the New Testament church must carefully evaluate the source and purity of its doctrine.

For example:
Does the doctrine of the church originate from heaven or earth?
Is the doctrine of the church the pure "doctrine of God"/doctrine of life (zoe) or adulterated by religious tradition?
Does church doctrine elevate the cultivation of intimacy with God or religious devotion to God?

God alone is the source of reformation for the New Testament church from law to life (zoe). Freely available by grace through faith, He has provided the doctrinal truth instrumental for its reformation. Discovered only in the New Testament, it is “doctrine of God” or the doctrine of life (zoe).

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Desire

The desire for church reformation from law to life (zoe) is not derived from the New Testament church. It is inspired by the living (zoe) Spirit of God. Indwelling the ecclesia of God, He is the inspirational source for the beginning and end of every divine work on earth, including the reformation of the church.

The desire for church reformation is a divinely cultivated, organic process. Through His indwelling life (zoe), God graciously and lovingly gives His children the desire to pursue intimate fellowship with Him. According to the New Testament, time spent learning the “doctrine of God” or doctrine of life (zoe) by the Spirit causes the progressive renewal of the mind. The result is the cultivation of a life-based (zoe) mindset which leads to the acceptance of transformative, life-based (zoe) church values. (cf. Romans 12:2) Life-based (zoe) church values influence the desire for life-based (zoe) church practice.

Conversely, inspiration derived only from the human heart provides the desire to please and appease God through the practice of religion. It gives man a religious motive to build the church for God according to the rule of law.

Legalistic religious practice does not contribute to the reformation of the eternal, organic church of the New Testament. On the contrary, although well-intentioned, it only serves to produce a spiritually dead simulation of the true ecclesia of God that is incapable of bearing eternal fruit. (Romans 7:4-6)

God has graciously awakened many during the Church Age with the desire to repent from religiosity and work with Him to reform His church. By motive of His indwelling life (zoe), He has consistently given mankind the desire to stand firm by faith and prayerfully seek Him to reform His legally compromised ecclesia. Although it remains an unfinished work, it has led to the progressive reformation of the church throughout the Church Age.

Only God can provide the selfless desire for the reformation of His church from law to life (zoe). Therefore, the New Testament church must carefully evaluate the source of its desire for reformation.

For example:
Is the desire for church reformation from God or man?
Is the desire for church reformation heavenly or earthly in source?
Does the desire for church reformation emphasize and elevate God or man?

As indicated, God is the source of reformation for the New Testament church from law to life (zoe). By grace through faith alone, it is initiated by a divinely originated desire in mankind.

Dependence

Rather than a work fulfilled for God by earthly, human life (psuche) living in devotion to God, the living (zoe) reformation of the church is an act of grace alone satisfied by the living (zoe) God in and with mankind. Thus, the ecclesia must cooperate by dependent faith alone.

Through His earthly ministry, Christ provided a perfect example of cooperative, dependent faith for His future body, the New Testament church. By the Spirit, Jesus emptied Himself of His own authority and practiced unwavering dependence on His indwelling Father. (Philippians 2:6-8) In like manner, the New Testament church is called to empty itself of any perceived authority of its own and, under the protective presence of divine authority, pursue unwavering dependence on the indwelling God. It is possible by faith alone.

The dependent faith of Jesus Christ was demonstrated through prayer. It is frequently recorded in the New Testament. (Matthew 14:23; 19:13; 26:36-44; Mark 1:25; Luke 3:21; 5:16; 6:12; 9:18; 28; 11:1; John 17; Hebrews 5:7)

Cooperative, dependent faith demonstrated through prayer was also a primary and intentional activity of the early New Testament church. (Acts 1:14; 2:42; 6:4; 12:12; Romans 12:12; 1 Corinthians 7:5; Ephesians 6:18; Philippians 4:6; Colossians 4:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; 1 Timothy 2:1, 8; Jude 20) It was the means by which it faithfully communicated with God and cooperated with Him on earth.

By the grace of God, the church has a privileged choice. It can remain under the rule of law (law of sin and of death) and work for God as a hireling. However, it is the choice that led the Apostle Paul to respond, “Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?” (Romans 7:24)

Conversely, the church can choose to live cooperatively and dependently by the rule of indwelling life (zoe) through faith alone. As a result, it has the privilege to rest in the gracious presence of God and faithfully allow Him to fulfill its works and practice. After learning this glorious truth, Paul responded, “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:25)

The New Testament church demonstrates dependent faith by its consistent willingness to prayerfully submit to the authority of the indwelling God and trust Him beyond the affairs and circumstances inherent to fallen life (psuche) on earth. Historically speaking, when the church has exercised such dependence on God, He has demonstrated that He will not only graciously provide everything needed but perform every work necessary to fulfill His plan on earth, inclusive of the reformation of His ecclesia from law to life (zoe).

God alone is the source of church reformation from law to life (zoe). The obligation of the ecclesia is to cooperate by dependent faith alone. Therefore, it must carefully evaluate its level of dependence on the living (zoe), indwelling God.

For example:
Is church practice characterized by cooperative, dependent faith, or self-effort?
Is church practice characterized by the fullness of life (zoe) or religiosity?
Is church practice directed by the Spirit of Christ or a predetermined liturgy?
Does church practice emphasize and elevate God or man?

New Testament church life (zoe) is not lived for God by the man indwelt, but with man by the God who indwells. When the church learns to quit trying and live by dependent faith, it will realize abundant spiritual fruit in New Testament quantity and quality.

God alone is the source of the reformation of the New Testament church from law to life (zoe). Human cooperation occurs by radical dependence on His willingness to provide and perform. It is achieved by grace through faith alone.

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Living Reformation

It is congruent with the eternal plan of the living (zoe) God to reform His ecclesia from law to life (zoe). Therefore, He is willing to illuminate the essential biblical doctrine, the doctrine of life (zoe), and provide the living (zoe) desire for reformation. In addition, God is willing to provide the gift of faithful dependence to trust Him.

“Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” (1 Timothy 1:17)

© 2025 James Hiatt

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